Tritons Face Tough Road Matches Against Teams Unbeaten in League Play

UCSD

Sep 20, 2018

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UC San Diego will be tested this week in a pair of road matches against teams that are unbeaten in CCAA play. Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino are 4-0 in conference matches and both squads hold an 11-1 overall record. The Coyotes are fifth in the most recent national poll, moving up from eighth last week. The Broncos, who have won 10 straight, are receiving votes in the poll.

Following the Friday/Saturday matches, the Tritons return to La Jolla to play their first match in a newly-renovated RIMAC Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Their opponent will be Cal State LA, currently unbeaten at 11-0 overall and 3-0 in the CCAA. The Golden Eagles are ranked 17th, up from No. 22 last week.

HOME OPENER PART DEUXTechnically, the Tritons played their first home match on Sept. 14. However, it was held at Main Gym on campus, which is not the team's regular home venue. That debut will happen this coming Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.) as UC San Diego hosts Cal State LA inside a revamped RIMAC Arena. The first renovation in RIMAC Arena's nearly 24-year existence (opened in January of 1995) is almost complete. The project modernizes the arena, improves training and competition facilities for student-athletes, and provides fans with a first-class live event experience. The renovation includes new retractable seating, modern glass railings, and a VIP skybox. The arena’s most noticeable new features will be the addition of a 50’ wide Daktronics digital video display and scoreboard that will span the facility’s south end as well as state-of-the-art courtside LED scorer’s tables. A new video production facility is also part of the project. It was started this summer and you can read more about it here.

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TRITON TRIFECTAThe Tuesday, Sept. 25 home match (7 p.m.) will be the first athletic event of the year with all students back on campus, the first-ever athletic event inside of a renovated RIMAC Arena, and the first outing in the Triton Trifecta, which is open to all UC San Diego students. Get to all three of these events and you'll win a gameday t-shirt and be entered in a drawing for a new big screen television!1. Attend the volleyball match on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.) at RIMAC Arena2. Attend the men's water polo game on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (6 p.m.) at Canyonview Aquatic Center3. Attend the men's soccer game on Friday, Sept. 28 (7 p.m.) at Triton Soccer Stadium

FRESNO HEATJunior middle Jessica Rieble was outstanding during the West Region Showcase in Fresno, leading the Tritons in points, kills, attack percentage, and blocks over four matches. She recorded match-highs with 14.5 points, 11 kills, five blocks, and a .714 attack percentage vs. Fresno Pacific. Against Simon Fraser, Rieble had a team-high 10 points with eight kills and two blocks while hitting a match-best .571. She wrapped up the tourney with a match-high five blocks and a .500 attack percentage against Seattle Pacific. Overall, Rieble hit .463 and averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 kills, and 1.3 blocks per set.

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A PENNY FOR YOUR DIGSJunior libero Alyson "Penny" Penrose collected her 500th career dig this season. Entering the year, she had 392 and went over 500 with 13 scoops at Fresno Pacific on August 31.

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DOWN BUT NOT OUTThe Tritons came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Hawai'i Hilo in five on Aug. 24. It was the first time that UC San Diego had stormed back from two down to win since Oct. 2, 2014, when it did so at Humboldt State.

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START ME UPAfter defeating Hawai'i Pacific on Aug. 24, the UC San Diego women's volleyball program moved to 17-2 (.895) in season-opening matches during its NCAA Division II era (since 2000). The Tritons lost to Simon Fraser in 2016 and fell against Concordia-St. Paul, the top-ranked team in the country at the time, in 2008.

ON THE DOUBLEThrough nine matches, four Tritons have produced a total of eight double-doubles.• Gina Cortesi (4)9/15 vs. Cal State East Bay (13k, 11d)9/14 vs. San Francisco State (11k, 12d)8/24 at Hawai'i Hilo (12k, 11d)8/24 vs. Hawai'i Pacific (10k, 10d)

DIG FOR A CUREThe annual Dig for a Cure match in support of breast cancer awareness will take place on Friday, Oct. 5, as the Tritons host Cal State San Bernardino.

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THE REIS CUPThe sixth annual Reis Cup is slated for Saturday, Oct. 6, when UC San Diego hosts Cal Poly Pomona. The event honors former Triton volleyball player Karen Reis, who passed away tragically in 2012. UC San Diego is 4-1 in Reis Cup matches and has won the last two.

HEAD COACH RICCI LUYTIESNow in his ninth season leading the Tritons in 2018, Ricci Luyties currently holds a 155-83 (.651) overall record and a 111-56 (.665) mark in CCAA matches during his tenure at UC San Diego. Four times Luyties has paced UC San Diego to at least 20 victories, which includes an impressive 26-6 (.813) campaign in 2013. He recorded his 150th victory as a Triton on Oct. 27, 2017. The Tritons have qualified for NCAA postseason play five times under Luyties, reaching the regional semifinals in four of those years. In 2010 and again in 2013, UC San Diego climbed as high as No. 8 in the national rankings. Prior to coming to La Jolla, Luyties was head coach at Southern Mississippi for six seasons. As a setter at UCLA, Luyties helped lead the Bruins to four consecutive national championships. He was named the NCAA's Most Valuable Player twice and was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame. At the international level, Luyties, alongside Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons, won a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics. He also played on the beach for 12 years, competing on the AVP Tour and FIVB World Tour with partners such as Kiraly and Adam Johnson. For Luyties' full bio, click here.

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OHTA TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAMEFormer Triton volleyball standout Teresa Ohta will be inducted into the UC San Diego Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. A setter from 2001-04, Ohta is the school's all-time assists leader with 4,749, almost 1,000 more than the No. 2 player on the list. She is a two-time All-America First Team honoree and the 2004 CCAA Player of the Year. In 2001, she was tabbed the West Region and CCAA Freshman of the Year. Ohta was an all-region and all-conference selection all four years. The Tritons went 106-19 during her time and qualified for the NCAA postseason in each of her four seasons, reaching the national semifinals in 2001. Ohta will officially be inducted during a ceremony in October.

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BIG (WEST) NEWS FOR UC SAN DIEGOOn Nov. 27, 2017, UC San Diego was officially invited to become a member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. The Tritons begin a four-year reclassification period starting in the fall of 2020 and will play a full Big West schedule that season. During the transition, UC San Diego will be eligible for National Collegiate Championships in men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo, and men's and women's fencing. For the 2024-25 academic year, all sports will be eligible to compete in Big West and NCAA Division I Championships. UC San Diego will remain an NCAA Division II institution for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and the volleyball team will continue competing as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Read the full press release here.

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GEAR UP For the latest in Triton athletic gear, make sure to visit ucsdtritonsgear.com. Run by UC San Diego Athletics' online partner Advanced-Online, the site provides an on-demand option for Triton athletic apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours.

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FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

UP NEXTFollowing this week's road matches against two teams that are a combined 22-2, things remain uber challenging for UC San Diego as it hosts unbeaten and 17th-ranked Cal State LA (11-0, 3-0) on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.). It will be the first match in a renovated RIMAC Arena.

#BigWestBound

About UC San Diego AthleticsWith 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles, and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in the summer of 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's pre-eminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.

Follow the TritonsFor complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDTritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@UCSDTritons), Instagram (@UCSDTritons) and Facebook (UCSDTritons). For more information on UC San Diego Women's Volleyball, follow on Instagram (@UCSD_wvb).